Beneath Machinery
by twilighteve-writes
Summary: Android!AU. Following Hughes' death, Roy made use of his transfer to Central to investigate his murder, accompanied by his Android, Riza. As he began to uncover a centuries old conspiracy, Riza instead began to harbor a secret from him, one that might just turn their lives upside down.
1. Chapter 1

The air was starting to cool, and the light from the sun had begun to grow redder by the minute. His own body casted a shadow on the tombstone, and his eyes were fixated on the letters etched on the rock.

 _Maes Hughes – 1885-1914_

"A Brigadier General," he sighed at the stone. "You said you wanted to support me from below. What are you going to do now that you're above me?"

"Sir."

The call caught his attention, and he turned. He came face to face with a female face wearing a halter blouse, with her hair done up. "The temperature is going down, Sir. It would be best for you to go back." He could see numbers running beneath the brown of her eyes, and knew instantly that she was running a program to determine something – perhaps the ideal temperature for a human to be in, perhaps how long she could let him stay outside without having to worry about any health complications.

"Soon, Riza," he told the woman-like Android, and she nodded. She stood next to him, and he took comfort in the warmth she exuded.

He stared at the stone for a while before sighing. "Alchemists are horrible people, Riza," he told her, and he felt her gaze upon him. "Right now, a part of me is trying to determine a formula for human transmutation, even though I know I'd probably fail and suffer the rebound."

"I cannot allow you to do that, then, Sir," the frown was obvious in her voice. He found it funny, sometimes, that an Android could sound so human.

"I won't do it," he promised her, and she relaxed. Typical of her. He knew she was programmed to monitor his wellbeing and prioritize his mental and physical health, but because it was hard for her to determine which of what he said was a joke and which was serious, it got him exasperated at times. "But… I feel like I now understand what those boys felt when they tried to transmute their mother."

She was silent for a while before speaking, "Are you alright, Sir? I detect no sign of stress from you aside of sadness and grief."

Damn her. Just saying that made something well up in his chest and pushed up, up, up, clogging his throat and burning his eyes. "I'm alright, Riza," he told her as he put his hat back on his head and looked up to the sky, letting the warm tears prick at his eyes before melting and falling down his cheeks. "Ah. It's raining."

Riza frowned. "But it isn't – "

"No," he cut her off, emphasizing the single word. "It's raining."

Once more her gaze was on him, and he could just imagine the numbers running beneath her brown irises once more, most likely running a search of human proverbs and metaphors. "… so it is," she said after a while. "Let's go back, Sir. The cold won't be good for your health."

He took a deep, shaky breath and nodded, following her as he wiped the rest of the tears away. He stared at her back, at the gleaming tattoo that was painted between her shoulder blades. Androids were required to have such tattoos – sigils, as the State preferred to call them – on their skin so that people could tell them and other humans apart, and those sigils had to be visible at all times. As such, Riza had to wear halter blouses practically all the time.

He wondered briefly if the Android felt sadness over Hughes' death. She was, after all, created by Hughes. Then he shook his head mentally, remembering that she was an Android. As far as he knew, Androids didn't know emotions.

"Riza, lead to the phone booth Hughes was found in," he told the Android, berating himself when he felt a tremor in his voice. He needed to pull himself together. "There is something I need to see."

"Yes, Sir."

"And call Major Armstrong. Tell him to see me there. I need to ask him some things."

"Yes, Sir." She fell silent, and he knew immediately that she was doing the task he had just given her.

He stared at her back again, etching the sight of gleaming silver against white skin that formed a sigil of a hawk and the serial number below it – E-H-Eye 001. Not for the first time, he found himself longing for the girl who the Android was a mirror image of, and he slapped himself for it.

That girl was dead. Now Hughes was, too. There was nothing he could do about it, because death was inevitable, inescapable, it would catch up to anyone, even him.

* * *

Boxes lined the walls of his house, filled with what little possessions he had. Inwardly, he made a mental list of what he had packed, what he had to packed, and what he could dispose of to minimize the weight of what he had to bring. He stopped halfway, though. Thoughts of Hughes' death keep invading his mind and breaking his concentration. With a huff, he called, "Riza?"

The Android, ever ready by his side, straightened. "Sir?"

"I'm sorry, but could you check if I've packed everything I need to bring?" he requested. He hated having to ask her to do every little thing for him. She deserved better than that. She wasn't his maid. This time, though, he honestly didn't have any choice, since he didn't want to accidentally leave something important.

Riza's eyes scanned the room, numbers running beneath the brown. Roy had expected her to make a mental list of what he had done and what he should do, and she didn't disappoint. "I believe you forgot your toothbrush and razor, Sir."

Roy scowled. "Why do I always forget the important things?" he grumbled as he walked to take said items.

"I believe this is the reason why Mr. Hughes created and assigned me to you, Sir," Riza answered serenely, closing her eyes and nodding in conviction.

"And thank Heavens he did," Roy sighed. "What will I be without you around?"

"As Mr. Hughes said it one time, you would be as useful as a wet match, Sir."

Roy chuckled and shook his head despite the pang in his chest when he thought about that old friend of his. He was just _too_ resourceful. How he managed to create an Android with a sense of humor was beyond him. It was probably the self-learning program he installed into the Android against government regulation. With that up her sleeve, Riza was able to learn things Roy would never have thought to order her to learn or install programs for her to function in specific ways.

He could've sworn she was almost _human_.

He mentally shook the thought off. That was just ridiculous.

"Have you memorized the way from this city to our apartment in Central?" he asked Riza after a moment of silence. He couldn't help but ask her on this one. He didn't fully trust the GPS system in his car, which they would be using to go to Central, but taking the train like the rest of his team meant leaving his car behind, and he didn't want that. Even though many public transportations had been built in cities all over Amestris, especially in Central, he still preferred the privacy of his car.

"All done, Sir," Riza assured him.

"Any Android repair shop nearby to the apartment?" Roy asked again, just in case he needed to give Riza some upgrades or touching-ups later on.

"The Rockbell's Automatons is near, Sir," Riza answered.

Roy couldn't help but smile at that, remembering the time Riza had malfunctioned in Resembool when they went there to recruit 'Mr. Elric' and found a crippled twelve year old and his brother within Android instead. Both Pinako and Winry Rockbell readily helped them, and took no charge, no less. Apparently, as soon as Edward was accepted in the military, they moved to Central to make sure his Automail would work in top condition. He knew that they would readily jump onto a train back to Resembool to help their customers there, though.

"I believe we're good to go," he declared to the air, and Riza nodded her confirmation.

He turned towards a table, where a single photograph lay. It depicted him and Hughes in their military garments, with him grinning freely to the camera and him staring at it almost expressionlessly. It was another reminder of his loss, but he held tight to it, reveling in its agonizing clutch to drive him further in his goal.

"I will catch your killer," he breathed softly. "I promise you that."

Behind him, Riza watched with her calculating eyes.

* * *

A/N: New fic! This one is based off Android!AU that I made, which is kind of an expansion of another fic of mine, Artificial Human. You can check it if you want, but this is kind of like an AU of that fic, so I think you're good to go if you don't want to read it.

Also, you may want to refer to this post for reference, since it's kind of like a FAQ of this fic: twilighteve-writes . tumblr post/ 139287641033/ androidau (just edit out the space. Sigh, why does this website hate links so)

I've been planning to write this fic for a while now, but school's being difficult and writer's block is just so relentless. Which is probably why the word count is pretty much low... I'm planning to have longer chapters for later though, 3k words at the minimum (hopefully). But right now I'm just glad this is all typed up and uploaded.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this. What do you think of it? Is it interesting? Please let me know, leave a review! Have a nice day!


	2. Chapter 2

He walked confidently along the corridor to the Fuhrer's office, pacing forward steadily and listening intently to any sound around him.

Whispers.

 _He's only thirty, isn't he?_

 _And yet he's made it this far already._

 _What do you think he did to bribe his way up?_

 _He won't be able to keep his footing here._

 _Let's see how long he can last._

Roy couldn't help it. His mouth quirked into a smile.

He stopped in front of a big door leading to the Fuhrer's office and glanced up, realizing that there was a CCTV camera placed there to monitor who walked in and out of the office. He couldn't help but smile again. When he finally got the position of the Fuhrer, he would definitely up the security of this place.

He knocked on the wooden door and pushed, coming into a big room where a secretary sat waiting. He smiled at her and gave a short, sharp salute, purely for the reason of greeting and not really caring if she saluted back. "I'm here to report to the Fuhrer," he announced.

The secretary nodded. "Yes, of course. The Fuhrer is not here right now, but I can set up a video call for you. He's surprisingly lenient with these sorts of things," she added at Roy's surprised look.

"Where is he, if I may ask?" Roy inquired curiously.

"An inspection down in South," the secretary answered as she tapped at her computer. Soon, a holographic projection manifested itself in the air, hovering just at the right height for Roy to be able to look at it comfortably. The symbol of Amestris hovered there for a moment before it flashed into the face of the Fuhrer.

"Ah, Colonel!" the older man greeted, his signature laidback smile ever in his face.

"Sir," Roy saluted to Bradley, only putting down his hand when eased.

"I'm sorry I cannot see you in person," Bradley apologized. "A sudden inspection was brought to my attention."

Roy shook his head. "I can't possibly hold that against you, Sir." And it was true. As much as he hated Bradley for his decisions during the Ishval war, he respected him for upholding his duties as the Fuhrer.

"I'm glad you think so," Bradley admitted with a chuckle. "I trust that you can start your work now, Colonel. Procedures in Central are basically the same as other cities. I believe you'll be able to make yourself at home soon."

Roy nodded. "Of course, Sir."

"Good." Bradley's body language changed, seeming more playful now. "By the way, Colonel, I met your subordinate here. The Fullmetal Alchemist is just as spirited as ever."

"Ah, he's in South, Sir?" Roy exclaimed.

"Don't you know about that? I thought you'd monitor where he goes to."

"He would prefer to have a freedom of movements, Sir," Roy explained. "I've asked him to give a call and report his whereabouts every now and then, to make sure he can minimize the collateral damage he somehow managed to create wherever he is. It appears he hasn't had the time to report yet."

"I see," Bradley nodded solemnly. "He was giving in his report in the South HQ when I met him." He chuckled again. "What a little spitfire." The chuckle subsided and he gazed at Roy again. "Well then, Colonel. I'm afraid I need to go. The inspection can't wait forever."

"Of course, Sir."

"You're dismissed."

Roy saluted again, watching how the holographic projection switched from the Fuhrer's face into the Amestrian lion symbol before bursting into pixels that vanished from the air. He put down his hand.

"I'll have someone send your assigned cases files, Colonel," the secretary spoke up. "You can expect it to be sent to your office's assigned Android soon."

"Thank you," Roy told the secretary before excusing himself, walking back to his office. The whispers were just as demeaning as before, and once more he struggled to keep a straight face. By the time he pushed the door to his office open, it was almost physically painful to keep the smirk down. It wouldn't be good if some military big shot saw and thought he was making fun of them.

He came to the general hubbub of his office, watching how each person and Android did their respective jobs. His eyes glanced briefly at Riza. He was eternally thankful for the military policy that allowed soldiers to bring their personal Android to the office regardless of the type as long as they didn't interfere with military assignments, as Riza was practically the only one capable of keeping the men in his unit in line, himself included.

"Falman," he called out, and the military-issued Android turned, standing up and saluting to him. He saluted back. "Have you received the case files assigned to this unit?"

"I've received it just now," Falman answered. "I'll show it to you."

Roy signaled the rest of his team as Falman rolled his left sleeve and opened a latch on his wrist, pulling a cable from it and plugging it to the projector in the room. Immediately, a holographic screen flashed to life. Falman swiped and tapped at it with his free hand, putting in _V.T. Fauxman 307_ – his production code – to confirm his identity, his sigil of the Amestrian lion symbol of the Amestris flag glinting silver on his left cheek.

The screen flashed into the list of case files they had, and Falman gestured, making the screen triple in size and enabling everyone in the room to see the content. Roy immediately let his eyes roam over the case overviews that were written next to the names, making a face at several.

Behind him, Havoc made a disgusted noise. "Someone made a custom-made Android and draw the sigil on its _crotch_?"

"Why do we have to deal with these sickos again?" Breda grumbled.

"Perks of being military, men," Roy shot them a dry smile. "Come on. These are simple enough. We shouldn't have that much difficulty dealing with them."

"True enough," Havoc muttered.

"Fuery, copy all these files into another device," Roy told the youngest member of the team. "I'll need Falman for something else."

"Yes, Sir," the young soldier nodded, dropping to his knees and stroking his robotic dog's fur before pulling a data cable from its neck. He immediately connected it to the USB port hidden within a small latch of Falman's left palm and whispered a command to the dog. Before long, the information was already copied.

"How's Black Hayate, by the way?" Roy asked innocently.

"He's good," Fuery frowned, digging his fingers in the dog's fur. "I still wished you had given him a better name, Sir."

Roy simply shrugged. "I only asked Riza to find a random dog name in the internet. You should have looked for a reference yourself." He swept the room with his eyes. "I'll leave these cases with you. Falman, Riza, come with me."

The two Androids followed him into his personal office, where he had Falman sit on one of the couches and he across of him, with Riza standing guard behind Roy's back. "Can you log into the government's security system anonymously?" he asked Falman without wasting any time.

Falman nodded. "The programs that Brigadier General Hughes and Sergeant Fuery installed to me allow me to."

"I want you to do that," Roy requested, and Falman nodded. "Show me the security footage of the room where Hughes was attacked."

A moment of silence passed before Falman shook his head. "The camera in the room malfunctioned that day. There is no existing footage of the attack." He paused. "There is nothing on the corridor's CCTV footage, either. However, I suspect that the video might have been played in a loop instead."

Roy hummed thoughtfully, appreciating the fact that Falman had checked the corridor's footage as well despite not having been asked to do so. No doubt it was the self-learning program Hughes installed in him when he tweaked Falman the week the Android was assigned to Roy's team – apparently the Android equipped with it would soon learn to make decisions by themselves. "What about the park where he was killed? Any footage that might be relevant?"

There was another moment of silence. Falman frowned. "The camera that took the footage of the murder of Brigadier General Hughes malfunctioned the moment he got into the phone booth," he said. "It went back to normal later on, but by that time Brigadier General's body was already found by a patrolling officer."

"What about other camera? What about the one placed at the entrance of the park?"

Falman shook his head. "None."

Roy was torn between screaming in frustration and punching someone, but he settled on grinding his teeth in frustration and showing a grimace instead. Whoever killed Hughes, they were good. Thorough and not leaving any evidence whatsoever, digital or otherwise. He suspected the only reason Hughes' body was found at all was because they wanted it to be found.

Time to change his plan, then. There must have been a reason why Hughes was killed. But what? Roy chewed on his lower lip, mulling over the question.

Finally, he settled on a decision. "Falman… can you find out what Hughes had been investigating the day he died?"

Another moment of silence, longer this time. "I can't find anything," Falman admitted finally. "Either Brigadier General Hughes did it anonymously, or what he was investigating was all on paper."

"Do the government keep track of the anonymous searches made through the computers inside the building?"

"Yes."

"Can you show me?" Roy pushed a small hologram projector to Falman. The Android nodded a plugged himself to the projector, and immediately a screen manifested before him. Roy studied the screen and asked, "Can you show me the list of anonymous searches of the day Hughes was attacked?"

Letters and symbols began dancing on the screen as Falman filtered the search. Behind Roy, Riza shuffled slightly, possibly trying to see what was in the screen.

Unfortunately, the search wielded no result. Whatever search was done anonymously that day, they never could have caused an attack, not on Hughes nor anyone else.

"So I'll have to search for things manually," Roy concluded, "on paper." _And keep it a secret._ There was never a day Roy didn't regret the fact that his team wasn't allowed to investigate Hughes' murder because it was deemed 'too personal'. He couldn't deny it, but he still wished he could investigate things officially, because then he could see so much more data without any restriction whatsoever.

"Surely you know that we will help you, Sir," Riza reminded him.

"Of course," Roy smiled at her. "And I'm thankful for that. But I'd rather have this matter stay within us, or at most within my team. You two," he looked at each Android in the eye. "I want you to never speak a word about this. Not even when the one asking is someone of a higher rank than me," he directed this at Falman.

Unfortunately, he shook his head. "I can't do that, Sir. I don't have the authority to overrun the order of a high-ranking officer, especially one whose rank is higher than yours."

Roy sighed. He had worried about this. "Then let's pray no high ranking officer will ask." At the two Androids' nod of agreement, he stood. "Falman, do your usual duty. At the mean time I will go to the archive room and try to figure out what Hughes was investigating." He glanced at Riza. "Come with me."

"Sir."

When they got into the archive room and pushed the door open, Riza asked immediately, "Where should we start searching, Sir?"

Roy hummed thoughtfully. "We have no idea whatsoever about what Hughes was investigating at the time… perhaps we should start with the cases he was handling at the time."

Riza stared. "I don't believe we can find anything of relevance here, then, Sir."

"Maybe he was cross-referencing something," Roy theorized. "We can't ignore that possibility. Or…" he trailed off. "Hughes helps the Elric Brothers a lot. Riza, can you look for anything of relevance with the Philosopher's Stone?"

Numbers ran beneath Riza's eyes. "Do you want me to search with the keyword _Philosopher's Stone_?"

"Yes, everything that has anything to do with the legend of it," Roy confirmed.

"Understood, Sir. Commencing search." Riza immediately went to the nearest bookshelf and took a folder, flipping through it. Knowing he could count on her to get the job done, Roy began to search for anything that might be relevant to the old cases he knew Hughes handled. He couldn't rule out the possibility of revenge crime, either.

Hours passed before he knew it, and so far he hadn't found anything that might be relevant. He sighed. He knew this was going to be a slow process, but he couldn't help but feel frustrated. Soon the cases and paperwork he had to handle would be too much to ignore and he wouldn't be able to investigate so freely anymore.

All of a sudden, Riza straightened. "Sir, I've received a message for you."

Roy turned to her. "A message? From who?"

"Gracia Hughes, Sir."

His brows furrowed. "Open it."

Riza blinked, and from her right eye, a hologram appeared. A miniature Gracia appeared in thin air, smiling at him.

"Hello, Roy," she greeted. "I'm sorry if I'm disturbing your work. I heard you got transferred to Central. Congratulations! Why didn't you tell me?

"In any case, I just wanted to invite you for a dinner tonight, in my place. You're new, so you probably hadn't had time to buy groceries. Maes would probably drag you here if he could, anyway, so I'm inviting you on his behalf, too.

"Anyway, please let me know if you can come tonight. If not, tell me when you'll be free. I'll be waiting for your answer."

The miniature Gracia vanished.

"Would you like to send a response message, Sir?" Riza offered.

"Yes, please," Roy nodded.

Riza blinked again, and a small, red light lit up in her left eye, indicating that she was ready to record Roy's response message. "Please say _start_ whenever you're ready, Sir."

"Start," Roy said immediately, not wasting any time. He then smiled. "Hey, Gracia. Sorry I didn't tell you about the transfer. I planned to but I hadn't had the time.

"I'd love to have the dinner tonight. You're right about me not having bought any groceries. I'll come at seven – that's the time, right? Hughes always said dinner in your household is around that time.

"Thank you very much for your offer, Gracia. I look forward for the dinner."

"Recording complete," Riza announced after Roy gave her a satisfied nod, voice monotone. "Would you like me to send this message now?"

"Yes, please."

"Sending message… message sent."

"Thank you, Riza," Roy smiled. He honestly didn't know what he would be without her around. Hughes had done a great job creating her, and he wouldn't doubt for a second that she was his masterpiece.

She let out that rare smile that she reserved for special occasions. "Don't concern yourself with it, Sir." Then the stoic façade went back. "We have spent much time researching, Sir. I suggest we go back to the office to have a bit of rest and handle your assignments."

"I suppose we could continue tomorrow," Roy sighed, nodding. He knew better than to insist. Riza was programmed to put his health and safety above all else, and could even override his direct orders if it could harm him. And she wouldn't hesitate to pull a gun to threaten him if it meant keeping him healthy and safe. Roy didn't know what Hughes was thinking when he programmed _that_ into her, but he was suspicious that _that_ particular bit was designed by _her_.

As they walked back to the office, Roy couldn't help but feel that as long as Riza was with him, he was content.

* * *

A/N: Before I got into anything that I want to talk about regarding this fic, I'll just put this out here: **_do not leave flames_**. Constructive criticism is very welcome, I love it. But not flames. Saying someone's story is bad is one thing, but telling said someone to burn themselves for it is taking it too far. Be polite, this is a public space. I don't have the patience to deal with that kind of shit, excuse my language, so if you leave flames in my stories you can expect me to delete it within the hour, especially if you're so cowardly you only write it as an anonymous guest reviewer. I mean seriously. There are people who put their heart and soul into their work, do you honestly feel good if you can crush them with your flames that practically tells them to kill themselves? Grow up.

Phew. Okay. Now that _that's_ off my chest, let's talk about this chapter.

It doesn't get to 3k, exactly, but it's definitely an improvement so I'll take what I can get. I'm hoping that I can capture Roy and Riza's dynamic as 'owner' and 'Android' but I don't want to make it seem like Roy's... imposing on her. I want to make them equal like in canon but when the premise is 'Riza is Roy's Android' it gets tricky. Does that make sense? I hope it does. And I hope I managed to capture it well.

Anyway, how did you think I do on this one? Do you think the chapter was good, bad, just so-so? Leave me a review, tell me what you think! Have a nice day!


	3. Chapter 3

Usually, dinners at Hughes' were cheerful and happy. Gracia's cooking would cover the table as though she was trying to feed ten even though only three out of the usual five would actually eat human food. Hughes would snap so many pictures and began checking and sometimes upgrading Riza. Elysia would laugh and bounce, ever the little girl she was always meant to be. A smile would take place in Riza's usually stoic face.

The atmosphere was so different tonight.

Elysia had opened the door, so excited to have her Daddy home, only to see that it wasn't Daddy after all. She forced a smile at Roy but the face of a crushed child was forever imprinted in Roy's mind, and he couldn't help but think if an Android was meant to be that expressive.

Gracia was just as gentle and friendly as usual, but a layer of grief had dampened the smile. The amount of food had decreased, though it was only to be expected considering that only the two of them would eat.

"How are you?" Roy greeted her as he walked inside the apartment. The unspoken _I'm sorry, I miss him too_ was locked behind his lips.

Gracia smiled. "Things are a bit harder without Maes here, but we'll manage."

Roy looked at her in the eyes. "Yes, but how are you faring?"

Gracia opened her mouth and closed it again before answering, "I… I miss him. Truly." She swallowed. "But I'll live. I still have Elysia."

Roy nodded, accepting the answer. "And how is Elysia?"

"She misses her daddy so much," Gracia sighed, watching Elysia chatting lengthily with Riza, who mostly listened. "She's programmed to have the mental maturity of a three year old kid. Five, at most. She doesn't understand why Maes isn't coming home. I've told her again and again and he won't be, ever, but she doesn't seem to be able to accept that." She chewed her lower lip. "She's begun to ask questions she never would have before. Just yesterday she asked me what death means."

"Is it possible for her mind to mature even more?"

"I don't know. I truly don't."

Roy stared at Gracia, feeling a pang of pity for her. For anyone who didn't know, she looked just fine, but he had known her for a long time. He could see the dark circles under her eyes that she had desperately tried to hide beneath a layer of makeup. He sighed and put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure it will all be fine."

Gracia gave a smile. "I suppose. Come on, we should start eating before the food cool. I'm sure you must be hungry."

Maybe Roy's grin was a tad too wide, but since Gracia seemed honestly delighted by his reaction, he didn't mind it too much.

* * *

"Sir, we need to make a quick stop at the minimarket." Riza's voice broke through the relative silence between her and Roy as they walked home, and Roy couldn't help the groan that overcame him.

"Can't we go in the morning?" he requested instead. He was genuinely tired. Elysia had asked him to play with her, and that was more tiring than it had any right to be.

"Absolutely not," Riza frowned in disagreement. "We don't even have coffee for the morning, Sir. And we need a new cable for my charger."

Roy grimaced. He had totally forgotten about the cable. He somehow managed to cut it into two somewhat equal parts when he tried to organize his things the night before – both he and Riza blamed it on the fatigue. "Give me an estimation of how long your battery will last."

"Four hours at most."

"Okay, let's get you that cable." Roy thought it over. "Do minimarkets even sell yours?"

"Mr. Hughes uses the same cable as the LadyBlue Android series, Sir. I'm sure there will be one."

Roy made a face at that. "He said he hated the LadyBlue series because their batteries die faster than they're charged. This must be his way to laugh at the factory's face."

"That's an exaggeration, Sir," Riza sighed, "but I understand the notion."

They entered the closest minimarket and started making the purchases, but while they were paying for them Riza slipped away from his side and started to walk outside.

"You don't need to do a perimeter check whenever we're shopping, Riza," Roy sighed.

"Better safe than sorry, Sir," Riza answered easily before slipping out of the shop.

The person manning the cashier chuckled at Roy's exasperated sigh. "That's a good Android you got there. I don't remember seeing its model anywhere, though."

"You wouldn't," Roy confirmed. "She's custom-made."

"No wonder. How much Cenz did you spend on it?"

"Zero." Roy's grin was much wider than he had hoped it was. "A friend made her and gave her to me."

"Holy crap, really?" the man's eyes went wide. "Ah, people's fortune get me jealous all the time. All I got is an old robot dog." He glanced down and Roy peeked, seeing a dog which bared its fangs at him immediately. "Good at guarding the shop, but completely useless when it comes to chasing thieves."

"Shouldn't you be able to install something for that?" Roy asked.

"I tried, but this old thing malfunctioned instead," he nudged the dog with his toes. "Maybe it's just too old, and I need to buy a new one." He gave Roy a paper bag full of his purchases.

"If that is the best choice, perhaps," Roy agreed. He paid for the purchases and bid the shopkeeper goodbye, walking outside, knowing that Riza would be waiting. But instead of the familiar figure of the Android, he was met with the loud, resounding bangs of gunshots instead.

Instincts kicked in, and he crouched down, looking around in full alert and patting his pockets for a spare pair of ignition gloves. As he located a lone, blonde figure holding a gun in the distance, he slipped the gloves on and sprinted as quietly as he could to her. She let out another flurry of gunshots, and someone – a male, judging from the voice – spoke words that were muffled by the distance. And then there was a final shot, accompanied by the male's scream.

When Roy got close enough to them, he caught the strangers' words, "I really like strong women."

Riza frowned, looking a bit annoyed. "Don't change the topic."

"I think I'm in love, Missy."

And suddenly Roy was faced with the sight of a stranger clad in armor trying to hug Riza while she kept him at an arm's length by putting her hand on his face, keeping him away from her.

Roy was rendered speechless for a moment before he found his voice. When he did, he called, "Uh, Riza?"

"Colonel," Riza turned to him. "I'm sorry, but can you help me a little? I'm afraid I've caught a weirdo."

While she was speaking, said weirdo somehow managed to maneuver away from Riza's hand and looped his arms around her waist. "Who's the punk, Missy?" he asked, as though Riza was his girlfriend instead of someone he had just met.

Roy felt a pang of irritation. He put the grocery bag he was still carrying down and flexed his fingers, pulling the gloves to make sure they wouldn't fall off by accident. "Step aside, Riza," he told the Android, staring at the stranger who dared lay a finger on her. "There is going to be a bonfire tonight."

"Please calm down, Colonel!" Riza said quickly. "This is Barry the Chopper, who supposedly had been executed!"

Roy started, eyes darting to the suit of armor immediately. He narrowed his eyes. "Riza, is there any unused warehouse nearby? Or at least somewhere that will give us some quiet?"

There was a moment of silence as Riza checked. "There is one south from here. It will require fifteen minute's walk."

"That should suffice," Roy nodded. "Could you call Falman? We will need his assistance."

"Of course, Sir."

The walk to the warehouse was surprisingly quiet, though Riza had to tell Barry not to chop people every now and then (the list included Roy, which he found both hilarious and aggravating). It took another ten minutes until Falman arrived, wearing his usual military blue garments.

"Did anyone notice you coming here?" Roy asked him quietly.

"No," Falman answered, voice also soft. "At least, none that I noticed."

That would be enough, Roy thought. Falman's sensors were good enough. "Can your move be traced? From the office to here?"

"I believe so, Sir."

"Can you make it untraceable?"

"I'm in the process of deleting the history, Sir. There would be a period in which I would not be found anywhere in the system, though."

"That's fine, we'll tell people that Fuery found out about the problem and had you fixed as soon as possible." Roy directed the Android's attention to Barry, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground with Riza keeping an eye on him. "See him? He told Riza he was Barry the Chopper."

Roy could hear Falman whirring to life, the machines within him humming as he fetched documents upon documents about Barry the Chopper. Then the Android frowned. "It should be impossible, Sir. Barry the Chopper was executed."

"Maybe he's a runaway. Or maybe he's pretending to be him."

"That's impossible, Sir. That's an Android."

Roy started. "He's a what?"

"He told me he's like Alphonse," Riza told them, still not letting Barry out of her sight.

Roy's brows shot up. "Is he now? Interesting…" He rubbed his chin with his still-gloved hand, feeling the texture of the cloth on his skin. He had originally thought the criminal had somehow escaped his execution and donned the armor as a mean of disguise, as weird as it sounded. But if he was like Alphonse, a soul trapped within an Android… well, that changed things. He glanced at Falman and leaned to him, whispering, "Quiz him on the crimes Barry the Chopper committed. We'll make sure if he's telling the truth or not."

Falman nodded and crouched in front of Barry and started reciting dates, asking him to tell him who he killed in those dates.

"August 29th, year 10."

"Hendrick, 'cause he was complaining that my meat tasted bad."

"January 5th, year 08?"

"Lenny and Cynthia. That's the only time I killed two in one night."

"What about the incident with Gadrielle on March 3rd, year 11?"

Barry leaned forward. "Mister, the day I killed Gadrielle was the 13th, not the 3rd. It was a clear and bright night, which made it easy to deal with the dismembering."

Falman turned to Roy. "He doesn't even fall for the trick question. He might be the real deal."

Roy stared in surprise. A trick question? Was this included in Falman's skill set as a military Android, or was this something he picked up from the other members of his team? The self-learning program Hughes had installed in him had made him capable of things Roy wouldn't thought he would be able to do otherwise.

His line of thoughts was interrupted by Barry yelling, "What the heck, you thought I was an impostor?! Here, let me chop you up clean and nice to prove that I'm the real – "

Riza poked him hard using a long pipe she found lying on the floor. "No, you're not allowed to. Sit down."

"Aw, come on, Missy. I was just kidding…"

Roy sighed, suppressing the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I'll admit that you're the real thing. Why are you here when you're supposed to have been executed? Not to mention that you're in an Android, like Alphonse Elric."

Barry rubbed the chin of the armor-like Android body he was trapped in. "I have a question before I answer that. You guys seem to be from the military, but you didn't know about me turning into this?"

"Yeah."

"Okay… so you don't know anything about the fifth laboratory either?"

Roy frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Alphonse and his bro came sneaking in, and we fought each other. He's pretty strong."

Like a slap, Armstrong's words rushed into Roy's mind. _Yes, the Elric Brothers. They're chasing a legend._ He clenched his fists. "Barry… tell me more in detail."

Barry cackled. "If you don't rat me out and promise not to get rid of me, I'll tell you everything I know."

Roy couldn't help but smile at that. _Smart._ "Very well."

He sat on a wooden crate and listened to Barry's story, occasionally asking questions and taking some notes. It sent chills down his spine, to know that the military instigated the creation of Philosopher's Stones, even more so when he found out that to make one, they needed living humans and used the lives of to-be-executed convicts. Apparently, two people named Lust and Envy (codenames, he was sure of it) were involved as well. Unfortunately, the only description Barry could provide about the two was whether they seem easy to chop or not, which was pretty much useless for him.

"Were they the ones who transmuted your soul?" Roy chose to ask things that didn't require a description from Barry's part. They would be easier to deal with.

"No, the researchers did," Barry said, knocking his stomach plate softly. "I was transmuted a bit different. They tore my soul forcefully from my body and transferred it into this Android when I was alive. The pain, man. Being executed would surely be less painful."

"Should we investigate those researchers? I might be able to pull out some data about them," Falman offered.

"No can do," Barry's voice rang loudly in the warehouse. "They're used as ingredients for the stones just a few days before the lab was destroyed. None of them are alive."

Roy snorted, feeling drained, angered, grudgingly respectful, and sick at the same time. "Use them as ingredients to seal their mouths… that's pretty resourceful of them." He stared at the notes he had made. "An organization involved with the military, Philosopher's Stone…" He sighed. Then he fixed his gaze at Barry, feeling a new hardness forming in his frame. "Barry the Chopper, I'll ask you one more question." He took a deep breath. "Were you the one who killed a brigadier general in a phone booth a little over a month ago?"

He stared at Barry, trying to see if there was any kind of reaction that would suggest that he killed Hughes. He could feel the gazes of both the Androids he was familiar with boring on him, and if he didn't know they were Androids he might have thought they felt surprised. He ignored the stares, focusing instead on Barry.

"I dunno," Barry's answer was innocent, curious even. "Was he chopped up?"

"No," Roy sighed and stood. "Never mind if you don't know." He turned to Falman. "Falman, you may return now. And please forget what you have heard." _Delete the memory regarding this interrogation_ was what he truly meant.

Falman stared at him for a moment before turning his gaze to Barry.

"I'm sure you understand," Roy added. "This is a dangerous path. You might be destroyed if the military knows. It doesn't matter that you're a military Android. The data you now possess could be deemed too precious or too dangerous for you to bear and you might be destroyed to make sure the data is gone."

"That's true," Falman agreed. "But, Colonel, my memory is too good, and it's safest when it's left alone. If I delete anything, it will automatically be copied and stored in the military's database on deleted military Androids' memory. Someone might find out. It will be safest if you create a separate folder within me to store this specific memory and lock it with a passcode of sorts." He smiled. "Besides, I'm already here. I see no reason to turn back. Feel free to ask me anything if you need me to."

"Falman…" again, thoughts swirled in Roy's head. This seemed to be a conscious choice that Falman was making. Was this another skill that was programmed into him, or something he learned by himself? Did he decide this because of the programming within him or was it because of his own free will? He wasn't sure. Sometimes he wondered if the self-learning program Hughes installed in the Android he was most familiar with was a good thing or not.

He decided not to dwell on it. "My apologies, Falman. Thank you."

The Android smiled and nodded.

"Now, though, we'll need to assign someone to keep an eye on him," Roy pointed out.

"Falman and I are obviously out of the question," Riza noted. "If Falman isn't in the office we'll face too much problem with the military. And I'm the colonel's Android, it would be odd if I leave his side."

"Not if I tell people I left you with the Rockbells for maintenance," Roy argued.

"Maintenance wouldn't take longer than a few hours, Sir."

"How about Fuery?" Falman asked. "He's got Black Hayate with him, too. That should provide extra security."

"The kid wouldn't last an hour with him," Roy shook his head.

"Havoc?"

"I need him running around in town handling on-field cases. He's the best in dealing with that type of things in the team."

"Breda, then?" Riza asked, more to confirm that to genuinely question.

"Yes, Breda it is," Roy nodded. "I'll tell him myself." He lifted his wrist and poked at his wristwatch, and immediately a hologram appeared in the air. The wristwatch, like many others in Amestris, was equipped with features that enabled it to make calls and send and receive text messages. It was even equipped with a GPS. He nearly never used it, however, preferring Riza's better features over it.

The call was quickly connected, and soon Breda's sleepy face appeared in the air. "Colonel?" he asked, words slurred with sleep. "Is this about a case or something?"

"Not exactly," Roy couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy, but someone needed to keep an eye on the killer trapped within machines. "But I have a task for you."

"What task?" Breda shifted, the picture shook a little.

"Babysitting task."

Traces of sleep was slowly wiped away from Breda's face. "Babysitting? Who am I going to babysit, Elysia?"

"Not really. It's a convict that's supposed to be dead, actually."

There was silence for a moment. The sleepiness was gone, and in its place was shock. " _What?_ "

* * *

A/N: Wow. This took me an embarrassingly long time to write. I'm sorry for that. Thankfully, I have a legit thing to blame: final exams. (Also I bought a coloring book a few days ago and had way too much fun coloring it instead of writing oops.) But since the final exams is finally out of the picture I don't have to go to school anymore and I can write more! Woohoo!

Well, that's the good thing. Now I have a bit of an **_announcement, it's pretty important_** (I think) so please _**READ THIS**_.  
Initially, I wrote this story wanting to create a Royai AU story, but now that I've written a bit, I realize that the romance that I aimed for... might not be realized. Romance was never my strongest forte, and there has been time when I wrote this completely forgetting about the Royai dynamics and focusing instead on other things, mainly the worldbuilding. And I know that some of you might have decided to read this because of the 'royai' part. So to avoid disappointing you guys (and myself) I've decided to focus on the plotlines and conspiracy and everything instead of the Royai. I'll still try to walk down the romance road, but if it proves to be too hard to do I'll abandon that road. I don't want to force the romance that could end up making the story weak instead. Sorry about that.  
For now, the 'royai' and 'romance' in the story summary and genre would be scratched off. If it turns out that I was able to write the romance after all, they'll come back there. If not, well... I hope the story's still good without that element.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What do you think of it? Tell me, leave me a review! Have a nice day!


	4. Chapter 4

With Barry's presence now added to the list of things Roy needed to keep track of, life in the office had become somewhat hectic – Breda refused to have to keep an eye on him at all times, so the rest of Roy's team (with the exception of Roy himself and the Androids) somehow came to the agreement that they would take turn keeping the butcher in line. Thankfully, though, things had started to calm down again and something akin of normality had finally caught up to them.

They had found their routine. For Roy, said routine was going to the archive room for a few hours in the morning to investigate the thing that got Hughes murdered and left before anyone caught him there, making sure that Riza was capable to make all his moves untraceable by the eyes of the technology. After which, under Riza's strict supervision, he would deal with his paperwork until he could go home. Sometimes, he would make a call to whoever was in the babysitting duty, if only to make sure Barry hadn't butchered them.

Not that it was necessary. Barry would do practically anything Riza asked him to and she had specifically asked him not to hurt and/or kill anyone in Roy's team.

Investigating was a dreary business, though, Roy had found.

"Nothing again?" he asked Riza after their rounds in the archive room.

"None, Sir," she replied, frowning. For days she had searched for anything that was even remotely connected to the Philosopher's Stone, and yet she found none.

Roy mirrored her frown. "This is odd," he remarked, voice soft. "There have been crimes connected to the supposed existence of the stone. How come there is nothing about the stone in the archives?"

"There are some legends, I admit, Sir," Riza said. "But nothing different from all other legends that have spread about the stone throughout Amestris."

"It's almost like some people have purposefully erased the stone's existence beyond myths and legends," Roy stroke his chin in thought. "But why…?" He mulled over it for a while before shaking his head, huffing in frustration. "Honestly, what did Hughes got himself into?" He took another book he had been skimming, settling down to between the piles. "Riza, go back to the office first. I'll catch up with you soon."

Riza frowned. "Sir, I think you know as well as I do that I won't leave you alone just like that."

"I know," Roy shot her a helpless glance, "but today Breda and Havoc are in the office. I want to make sure they wouldn't make too much trouble."

"With all due respect, Sir, you make as much trouble as them."

He couldn't help but chuckle that escaped his lips. "At least mine wouldn't end with cracked windows or smashed potted plant."

The Android's frown deepened. It didn't take long for her to make her decision. "Please don't take too much time, Colonel. And please be careful."

"I will."

She left him in the archive room alone, and Roy waited until her footfalls dimmed in his ears before sighing and slumping down.

He felt bad about sending her away, but sometimes it helped to think on his own. Riza's nature as an Android, however, got in the way of that sometimes. He didn't feel good about lying to her, but at the same time he was grateful that he could. As far as he knew, the ability to lie was one of the few things that differentiate a human and an Android.

He rubbed his eyes with the base of his palm and resolved to finish as fast as he could to alleviate the guilt. He opened the book he had been holding and started skimming, trying to seek information, but the words danced in his eyes as if mocking him. He sighed and rubbed his eyes again. He was _tired_. Both mentally and physically. He had investigated things for days, researched alchemy and surviving off thick cups of coffee with way too much sugar, but nothing felt as draining as this. Perhaps because this time, it was far more personal.

He laid on his back, pillowing his head on a thick book that felt strangely comfortable, reminding him of a dim house and the smell of burning candles and old tomes. He lifted the book he was skimming and started doing so again, forcing the words to still by shaking his head and blinking hard whenever they started to taunt him.

A knock on the door and the sound of someone softly calling him dragged him back to reality, and he found himself both annoyed and relieved by this. He sat and looked at the door, meeting Sheska's eyes immediately. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Riza passed by me earlier and told me you were here, Sir," the bespectacled young woman told him, an air of nervousness about her. He wondered briefly if it was because of the difference of their ranks. "I just want to tell you that she said she doesn't want you to… slack off too much. And I have to tell you that you can't be here for too long, Sir, someone might come to look for a document or two."

"Ah. We can't have that." Roy's declaration was solemn, and Sheska nodded. "Please give me some time to finish up, Sheska. I'll be out soon."

"Yes, Sir." Sheska's nod was nervous, and Roy wondered if the air of perpetual nervousness he always sensed around her was just natural for her. He decided not to dwell on it as the door swung close.

Again, he tried to concentrate on the book, but again the words refused to still. He sighed and laid back down, putting the opened book on his face to shield his eyes from the glaring light of the room. He needed rest, that was for sure. He made a note to sleep more once he got home that evening.

But fatigue pulled and tugged on him and foiled his plan. Before he knew it, he fell into a state that was both sleep and not sleep, teetering on the line between conscious and unconscious. But it provided rest, as meager as it was, and he unwittingly reached to that, locking himself in that state, both rejecting the clarity of the waking world and the slumber offered by the dream world.

It was broken, though, when a female voice called his name. The voice dragged him to the waking world at once, and he realized what he had been doing. He took the book off his face and sat.

"How long did I sleep for?" he asked to no one in particular, blinking to shoo away the sleep.

"Um, around ten minutes, I think." Nevertheless, the voice – Sheska – provided an answer for him, waiting for him from out of the door. As Roy gathered himself, his mind whirred, remembering his schedule for the day.

"Um, it may be none of my business, Sir," Sheska began as he dragged himself out of the archive room, "but I think you should take more rest and stop pushing yourself so hard…"

"Hmm," was all Roy could mumble as a response. Sheska meant well, and he could see the wisdom in her advice, but sadly it wasn't an advice he could take immediately. He checked his pocket watch and sighed. "Not much time left until the meeting," he muttered to himself and walked away, calling out to the woman, "I'll come again."

"Okay," she answered softly, perhaps unsure of how to respond. Roy smirked to himself. She may not know, but he was eternally grateful that she agreed to give him access to several storage and archive rooms that were otherwise unauthorized for him when she knew his goal was to uncover who killed Hughes. She was, after all, indebted to him one way or another.

He made sure to stop by the toilet to wash his face before he went to the meeting he had to attend. There was no sense in appearing there looking like a sleep deprived mess, nevermind the slight darkness beneath his eyes. He was grateful for the cold water as it dripped down his hair and wet the towel he used to dry it. As he checked his appearance on the mirror, he realized he wasn't alone.

"Hello, Colonel," Major Armstrong greeted as he pushed open the door of the toilet stall he occupied.

"Hey," he responded.

"Did you lose some weight?" the muscular man asked as he opened a water tap to wash his hands.

"Yeah," he answered, noting Armstrong's bandages and scratches. "Did you injure yourself?"

"I fought a little in the South," Armstrong answered. "It's just a scratch. Oh yes," he exclaimed, "I met the Elric Brothers there. Major Elric came to deliver his assessment in the Southern HQ."

"I see."

"He's planning to continue as Military's dog."

"Fullmetal is soon sixteen, as I recall." His gaze turned grim. "So it has come to this. To return to the old bodies first, or to be sent to a war first…"

It seemed that Armstrong thought the same, because he added, "Like that one…"

Bangs of guns and blazes of fire danced in Roy's eyes, remembering the war that changed him and took lives of so many – _her_ included. He remembered that Armstrong was one of the soldiers who couldn't bear killing so many innocents and was sent back to Central. He remembered that some State Alchemists that fought with him suffered from the ghosts of the battlefield that forced them to remember, over and over again, the bullets and cannons booming and whizzing around them. He remembered _her_ , preferring guns over knives and swords for the sole reason that _she_ wouldn't need to feel _her_ victim bleed to death by _her_ hand.

He closed his eyes and willed the memories away.

Armstrong was clearly still disturbed. "To throw a youth into a place like that… how can you even think that?"

"The Fullmetal Alchemist became part of this knowing the risk of being used as a human weapon," Roy closed the water tap on the sink he was using, which was still opened. "Child or adult, there will be no exception."

Armstrong looked like he was trying to hold in his anger, and perhaps disgust. "Is that your official stance? No one wishes for a world like that."

"As a soldier, do you dare defy the military?" Roy asked harshly, knowing that the answer was clear. It wasn't the matter of a perfect world or not. This was the world they lived in, and it wasn't perfect. It had too much flaw, and they had to endure all of them. They had to _fix_ all of them.

"I do not," Armstrong admitted. "I just want my strength to be used to protect the weak in this nation. I believe it is not an impossible dream, if only some people can wield the necessary power. Only those who understand the horror of battlefields and aim calmly at the top can accomplish that, Colonel Mustang."

"What are you talking about?" Roy asked, feigning ignorance.

"I got too chatty," Armstrong walked to the door. "I'll be going."

"Major," Roy stopped him. "Did you inform the brothers of Hughes' death yet?"

Armstrong froze. It took him a moment to answer. "No. I couldn't say it."

"They will find out eventually," Roy pointed out. "The fifth laboratory and the Philosopher's Stone, and the living humans needed to make one." He could feel Armstrong's surprise, and he took it as an invitation to continue. "That guy liked to help others. He found out something interesting after poking his head into the Elric Brothers' business, isn't that right? The brothers will be hurt if they find out Hughes died because he tried to help them, isn't that what you're thinking?" He took his jacket that he had taken off and remarked, "You're a nice person."

Armstrong ignored the compliment. "You found out quite a lot."

"Just a bit more." The two walked out of the toilet as Roy wore his jacket.

"Please be careful," Armstrong said as they parted ways. "You don't know who might be listening."

"Yeah."

* * *

Roy honestly couldn't recall most of the meeting. It was simply too boring, and he didn't see the importance of it. One might think being a colonel meant dealing with serious business, and while most of the time they were right, other times the things he had to deal with was downright useless, in his opinion.

He climbed into his car and drove back to the HQ, mourning the fact that the meeting was held in another building and that Androids weren't allowed to be brought in fear that someone might hack them and obtain information somehow. He knew, though, that she would be waiting in front of the gate to the HQ for him, just like every time he had to attend meetings outside of HQ. When he got there, though, he was met by not only her, but also three other familiar faces.

"Hello, Fullmetal," he greeted the teen as he climbed out of his car, noting how his eyes lit up with recognition. "Alphonse," he nodded at the boy trapped within Android. Then he squinted at the girl with them. "I'm sorry, didn't we meet before? In Resembool? I can't quite remember your name. Is it Wendy?"

"Winry, Sir," the girl corrected, a bold yet polite glint in her blue eyes.

"I didn't know you'd be here," Edward said. "Was there a case that required you to come here or something?"

Roy stared. "I got transferred, Fullmetal, a few days ago."

"I've already sent a message to you," Riza added. "Did you not receive it?"

"Uhhh," the golden eyes boy gave an uneasy glance to Alphonse before he held out his automail hand and pressed on a small button on the outer side of its wrist with his flesh hand. Holographic projection came out, and he swiped and tapped at it before he smiled sheepishly at both Roy and Riza. "I, uh, didn't read it. It got buried in other texts and notifications. Sorry."

"Please make sure to at least check on the important ones," Riza sighed.

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"Honestly, Ed, I built that feature into your automail so you can communicate with others more easily," Winry scolded him. "Don't disgrace my creation like that!"

"Hey, it's not my fault! I need to do research!" the defense got an eye roll from the girl. "Argh, that's not important."

Winry's eyes glinted dangerously. "Not important?!"

His experience with women had taught Roy when to do what whenever dealing with pissed-off ladies, and he knew instantly that he needed to change the course of the conversation soon or Edward would be a pulp. "By the way, Fullmetal, what are you doing here today?"

Edward seemed to be grateful by the distraction Roy provided, and gladly played along. "Oh, just to gather information. I want to look up stuffs regarding Philosopher's Stone and Homunculus."

Roy snorted as he wore his jacket. "Homunculus? Give me a break. How the heck do you expect to find information about that when human transmutation is forbidden?"

"Is that so?" Edward's tone was full of challenge, but he soon let go. "Oh yeah, one more thing. I want to go say hi to Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. How is he?"

Roy froze, and he couldn't help the single hurt glance he threw at the three teenagers. They looked too innocent, expecting only the best of all news. Even Edward, the child that had been touched by tragedies from early age stared at him with a wide, expectant smile. It didn't take a second for Roy to make his decision.

"He's not here."

He couldn't bring himself to look at the teenagers when Edward gave a confused 'huh?'. Roy chose instead to walk inside. "He went back to the countryside," the lie sailed smoothly from his lips. "Recently there have been a few disturbances here, and he's worried about his family. So he moved back. I heard that he's taking over the family business. So he's not here anymore."

"I see… too bad." Edward said, but still Roy couldn't bring himself to look at him.

"It's dangerous in the military after all," Alphonse added.

"Still. I wanted to see him," Winry sighed.

Roy decided he couldn't take it any longer, so he opted to go inside. "Philosopher's Stone and Homunculus, right?" he asked Edward, still not looking at him. "I'll contact you if I find anything on that. Let's go, Riza."

"Yes," Riza replied, reliable as ever.

"Fullmetal," he called for the last time, "Don't jump to conclusions and do anything rash." He continued his stride, feeling the boy's confused stare on his back.

As they walked away, Riza remarked, "You only treat him like a child when situations like this arise."

"There is no need for him to know yet," Roy defended himself. "It would be better for them if nothing disturbs their process." He felt Riza's gaze on his back, scrutinizing. He snorted a laugh. "I called Major Armstrong soft-hearted for this, yet I'm doing the same thing. How hypocritical of me."

"But, Colonel, it's not a kind action."

Riza's words caught him by surprise, and he turned to meet her brown eyes.

"It's cruel."

The simple truth clogged up his throat, and Roy found himself speechless. He stared at the Android, once perplexed by the conundrum that was her. He saw the truth in her words, knew that his action would hurt Edward and Alphonse as well as him, and wondered if he should have taken a different course of action.

But then a question crossed his mind. _How does an Android define kindness and cruelty?_

Before he could ponder on the question, Riza sighed and took a folder. "Nevertheless, about Major Armstrong. He has a subordinate who is a suspect in Brigadier General Hughes' murder."

"Really?" Roy started, staring at her.

She nodded. "2nd Lieutenant Maria Ross. She denies the charges."

Roy read over the files in the folder quickly, brows crinkling. He handed the folder back to her. "We need to go to the office soon."

The two strode quickly to the office, and when they arrived, Roy didn't waste any time approaching Falman. "Do me a favor and run an anonymous search," he requested.

"What about?" he responded quickly.

"Anything that links with 2nd Lieutenant Maria Ross."

Falman nodded. "To what extent?"

"Down to the last bit, and do it fast." Roy watched in satisfaction as Falman nodded. "This is top secret, understood?"

"Understood, Sir."

It didn't take long for Falman to fetch the documents and sent them to Roy's watch, and when he did, Roy read everything as fast as he could. He gritted his teeth as his mind went on an overdrive, connecting dots and drawing conclusions as words passed by his eyes.

"Sir, it appears that they have already convicted 2nd Lieutenant Ross as Brigadier General's murderer," Riza piped up all of a sudden, frowning, before her eye flashed to project an article from an online newspaper, showing the short haired officer's photo for all to see with a caption that outed her as the murderer.

Roy frowned. "Has she been put on trial?" he asked Falman.

He shook his head. "No, not yet."

Roy stroked his chin, coming to the conclusion that Maria Ross was innocent and sacrificed as the killer. Probably to soothe the public. Most likely to feed _Roy_ lies. "Who is in babysitting duty?" he asked.

"Today is Breda's shift, Sir," Havoc announced.

Roy held out the hand bearing the wristwatch and made a call to Breda, telling him to put Barry on as well. It didn't take long for a plan to hatch in his mind, and he quickly organized and gave directions to the team.

"Fuery, exchange places with Breda," he ordered. "And Breda, before you get here later, I want you to fetch some items. I'm going to send you a list later."

"Sure, but what for?" the redhead asked, most likely wondering where he should get the items Roy was going to request.

A ghost of a smile graced Roy's lips. "We're going to need a corpse."

* * *

A/N: I should probably say that I'm using the FMA manga as my guideline of this fic instead of Brotherhood. There isn't much difference, sure, but I just find it easier to track manga pages than anime episodes. And I just found out that Riza's "it's cruel" line is Brotherhood-only, even though I've read the manga more times than I watch the anime. *buries face in hands* However, I also realized that now I'm really holding on to the manga like a lifeline. In this rate this story isn't going to be much of an AU but just a novelization. So I'll probably have to distance myself from the manga later to make sure that the AU forms nicely.

I think I'm going to rewrite Chapter One. I can't help but feel that the first chapter is weaker than the other three, and I don't like that. It's in the process of rewriting, actually, but I'm still unsure about it. It wouldn't really have any new info, I don't think, but I hope the writing could be improved. Hopefully. Let's see if I can do it soon and upload it before Chapter Seven.

And I just realized that I've been writing this exclusively in Roy's POV. I hope it doesn't get redundant or weird or OOC or something. ( _Lots of somethings._ ) Do you think I should change POV sometimes?

What do you think about this chapter? Do you find it good or bad, or just so-so? Leave me a review, tell me what you think. Have a nice day!


	5. NOTICE

A/N. NOT A CHAPTER. Sorry to disappoint.

I've reread the story and decided that I don't like it. This wasn't how I intended the story to look like. It doesn't have the essence that I was gunning for, the feeling is off - I'm surprised I even uploaded this at all. It's so different from how I wanted it to be.

For that reason, I've decided that I will put down all chapters and replace them with the new ones. It's still in the work, so it'll take some (even more) time. To be completely honest, all this time while the story's on hold I've been rereading the story and contemplating a different approach to it. Also, I thought a break would do me good but it ended up being extended again and again as I spiral down Pokemon marathon and drowning in Laika's movies and spending a few days at the doctor's to consult and check my eyes for a surgery... But I keep thinking about the story.

Anyway, I'm going to delete the chapters the same day I upload the rewritten first chapter. The title's going to be the same, the premise is pretty much the same. I'm hoping the rewritten one will be better than this one. Hopefully I can finish things up within a week - preferably less than a week, but a week at most.

Sorry to keep you waiting just to see this announcement. I promise to try my best making this story even better.  
Wish me luck!

*note: this notice will be deleted along with the chapters later on.


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